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Miss Julie from 1999 is a film adaptation of Norwegian playwright August Strindberg's classic play of the same name. The movie explores themes of class, gender, love, and power in 19th century Sweden. It stars Saffron Burrows as Miss Julie, Peter Mullan as Jean, and Maria Doyle Kennedy as Kristin. The film opens with Miss Julie, the young daughter of an aristocrat, returning from a party. She is restless and desires attention, and she decides to join her servants in their preparations for Midsummer’s Eve, a holiday celebrated in Sweden. She is immediately drawn to Jean, a senior servant who is working in the kitchen. Miss Julie and Jean engage in flirtatious banter, revealing their mutual attraction. Jean remarks that he used to have a crush on her, which makes her self-conscious and embarrassed.

As the night progresses, Miss Julie's interaction with Jean becomes increasingly intimate. She invites him to dance and drinks with him. They share stories, revealing their deepest secrets, and engage in a passionate kiss. Miss Julie becomes infatuated with Jean and reveals to him that she wants to run away with him to Switzerland. Jean, however, is reserved and cautious, telling her it is impossible.

The next day, Miss Julie wakes up to the realization that her behavior the previous night was scandalous and inappropriate. She begins to worry about the consequences and the effect it could have on her family's reputation. Jean, on the other hand, is wrought with guilt for crossing the line with his mistress. He becomes concerned about his future now that Miss Julie's father will soon be arriving home.

Miss Julie and Jean's relationship continues to spiral out of control, and the power dynamics between them become more apparent. Miss Julie is used to being in control and having her way, but Jean, who is of lower-class status, does not see her as an equal. He is angry that he allowed himself to be seduced and used by her, and he struggles with his newfound feelings of self-loathing.

When Kristin, another servant, learns of the affair, she becomes disgusted and takes measures to put an end to it. She tells Jean that he must end things with Miss Julie, or she will publicly humiliate him. Jean is faced with a dilemma- he is torn between his loyalty to Miss Julie and his own survival. The situation ultimately culminates in a tragic ending, revealing the dark consequences of shame, jealousy, and desire.

Overall, Miss Julie is a slow-paced film that thrives on the strength of its acting performances. The close-up shots and the dialogue-heavy scenes provide an intimate and voyeuristic look into the turbulent relationship between Miss Julie and Jean. Although it is not an action-packed film, it is a powerful exploration of human emotion and society's expectations through an immersive period setting. The movie's themes continue to be relevant today, which makes it a timeless classic.

Miss Julie is a 1999 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 43 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.2 and a MetaScore of 46.